The LOEWE FOUNDATION announces the winner of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2018. Each of the finalists' work is featured in an exhibition at the Design Museum, London from 4 May – 17 June as part of the London Craft Week programme.

Avant-garde and craftsmanship in an exhibition that summarises the best of craft with artistic ambition around the world. The finalists of the LOEWE Craft Prize second edition are on show at the Design Museum, London, from 4 May – 17 June. An unprecedented opportunity to meet the most outstanding international and cross-generational works on ceramics, jewellery, textiles, woodwork, glass, metalwork, furniture, papercraft and lacquer.

These works stand for the culture of effort and the revival of traditions, and lead to the essence of LOEWE and its legacy of knowledge and quality in a time of immediate and indiscriminate production.

Present in over forty public collections around the globe, this Scottish ceramist studied at both the Edinburgh and Royal College of Art. A preference for traditional techniques elaborated by hand, Lee developed her own method of colouring by mixing metallic oxides into clay.

This hand-coiled vessel utilises planetary bands of oxidised pigments – some coloured decades prior to creation – to capture a sense of frozen time within its delicately poised proportions. Using ancient techniques of pinching and coiling, a eeting sense of discovery is intertwined into the surface, evident in the bands, haloes, and ellipses that circumnavigate the vessel with varying intensity. Lee wants to remind us of nature’s intractable march of change, yet by preserving this particular concoction of colour and clay in the res of her kiln, she creates a lasting image of a moment already passed.

A self-taught textile sculptor, Pheulpin uses unbleached cotton to create forms inspired by the natural landscape. Her captivating use of countless folds within her patterns has seen her work exhibited across Europe and the United States, winning her accolades including the 2015 Laureate for the Fondation d’Ateliers d’Art’s Le Créateur prize.

Sourcing densely wrapped cotton strips from reclaimed Vosges car tires, this impressive sculptural piece transforms humble cloth into something akin to prehistoric geology. Using strips of non-bleached muslin, Pheulpin evenly shapes, densely stacks, and seamlessly solidifies her material into a symbol of natural strength. Emulating crevices of rock and time-worn sediment, the large, compact piece conveys ideas about the enormity of the Earth’s past, prompting us to consider the fragility of our own existence.

Kuwata’s reputation as a radical potter is born from his penchant for experimental procedures as he pushes the potential of materials. Known for his saturated and intense colour combinations, an underlying respect for his predecessors is evident in references to traditional forms and functionality.

An exploration of ideas conceived and developed during his handling of porcelain, platinum and steel, this container brims with the possibilities of chance. A preference for experimentation means Kuwata often adds elements such as stones or needles to the kiln or clay in order to puncture or perforate his vessels. The melted metal covering this tea bowl creates an initial impression of dysfunction, but this is merely an indication of Kuwata’s joyful approach to creation. Beneath the playful patina is an elegant vessel grounded in timeless tradition.

The selection was made by a distinguished jury composed of leading figures from the worlds of design, architecture, journalism, criticism and museum curatorship, including Ernst Gamperl, winner of the 2017 edition of the Prize. Jonathan Anderson, LOEWE creative director, commented: ‘Jennifer Lee for me is a landmark in form’. The jury commended the work for its classicism, the means by which it rooted the entire exhibition, and its timelessness.

The Jury also agreed upon giving two special mentions. One has been given to French textile artist, Simone Pheulpin, for her work Croissance XL (XL Growth) (2017). The jury commented: ‘She is redefining what we think of as textiles. She has elevated humble recycled materials into something truly remarkable.’

Another was given to Japanese potter Takuro Kuwata for his work Tea Bowl (2017). The jury admired the energy and self-expression of his work, saying: ‘He transgresses the typical tradition of ceramics while pointing a new way forward.’

30 shortlisted artists for the 2018 edition of the LOEWE Craft Prize. Each of the finalists’ work is exhibited at The Design Museum, London from 4 May – 17 June 2018.

For the 2018 edition, a panel of 11 experts convened in Madrid for two days to review all presented works and select the shortlist. In their deliberations, the panel sought to identify the most outstanding works in terms of technical accomplishment, innovation and artistic vision.

Regarding the selection process, Anatxu Zabalbeascoa, Executive Secretary of the LOEWE Craft Prize Experts Panel, stated: ‘This year the judging was harder than prior years, with the standard of applicants impressively high across every category. Our chosen works reflect an almost alchemical manipulation of each medium’s possibilities and reward those who have mastered traditional skills in order to transform them for the contemporary age. The selected finalists —who range in age from 27 to 76— are a multigenerational snapshot of the utmost excellence in craft today.’

The Finalists of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2018

30 works have been selected as Finalists by the Experts Panel.
These works will take part of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 exhibition that will travel to London, from 4 May – 17 June 2018.

Name of finalist: Takuro Kuwata
Country of entry: Japan
Name of work: 'Tea Bowl'
Category: Ceramics
Materials: Porcelain, glaze, pigment, platinum and steel

Name of finalist: Wycliffe Stutchbury
Country of entry: United Kingdom
Name of work: '100 Foot Drain / Annie’s Wood'
Category: Wood
Materials: Bog oak, European oak, common holly

Name of finalist: Yeonsoon Chang
Country of entry: Republic of Korea
Name of work: 'Matrix III Time, Space, Human – 1,2,3'
Category: Textiles
Materials: Abaca fiber

Trophy
Alex Brogden, 2016

Trophy
Alex Brogden, 2016

How to participate

Read the Rules of Entry and make sure you comply with all requirements. All participants must be professional artisans 18 years or older. Entries may be made by an individual or collective (as a ‘group submission’). All nationalities are welcome.

Make sure the work:
demonstrates artistic intent in addition to technical proficiency
is an original piece, handmade or partly handmade
is recently created (in the last five years), and one-of-a-kind, and has not won any prizes previously
is innovative, in the sense that it updates tradition
falls within an area of the applied arts, such as ceramics, bookbinding, enamelwork, jewellery, lacquer, metal, furniture, leather, textiles, glass, paper, wood, etc.

Complete the online registration in English
You need 2 to 5 photographs of the work (or series) and optionally a video.
Write a brief conceptual statement about the work.
Next submissions period will be open on Wednesday 20 June.

"Craft is always going to be modern. It is about creating objects that have a formula of their own and speak their own language, creating a dialogue that didn't exist before. It is about newness as much as it is about tradition."

Ernst Gamperl
Winner of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2017

Rosy Greenlees
President of the World Crafts Council

Hong-Nam Kim
Former Director of the National Museum of Korea

Toshiyuki Kita
Furniture and product designer

Enrique Loewe
LOEWE FOUNDATION Honorary President

Deyan Sudjic
Essayist and Director of the Design Museum, London

Benedetta Tagliabue
Architect and Pritzker Prize jury member

Patricia Urquiola
Architect and industrial designer

Anatxu Zabalbeascoa
Architecture and design correspondent for El País

Meet the Jury of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2018

From the shortlist, a jury composed of 10 leading figures from the world of design, including Ernst Gamperl, winner of the 2017 LOEWE Craft Prize, will select the winner of the 2018 LOEWE Craft Prize. The prize awarded to the winner is 50,000 Euros in cash and the announcement will be made on 3 May 2018, the night before the official opening of the LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 special exhibition at The Design Museum, London.

LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 Exhibition
Design Museum, London

LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 Exhibition
Design Museum, London

LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 Exhibition
Design Museum, London

LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 Exhibition
Design Museum, London

LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 Exhibition
Design Museum, London

LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 Exhibition
Design Museum, London

LOEWE Craft Prize 2018 Exhibition
Design Museum, London

About the Craft Prize

The LOEWE Craft Prize seeks to acknowledge and support international artisans of any age (over 18) or gender who demonstrate an exceptional ability to create objects of superior aesthetic value. By identifying work that reinterprets existing knowledge to make it relevant today while reflecting its maker’s personal language and distinct hand, the LOEWE FOUNDATION aims to highlight the continuing contribution of craft to the culture of our time.

All entries should

fall within an area of applied arts, such as ceramics, bookbinding, enamelwork, jewellery, lacquer, metal, furniture, leather, textiles, glass, paper, wood, etc.
be an original work, handmade or partly handmade
have been created in the last five years
be one-of a-kind
have won no prizes previously
demonstrate artistic intent.

The Prize for the winning entry is 50,000 euros. The winning work selected by the Jury, as well as the works of the finalists selected by the Experts Panel will be included in an exhibition and accompanying catalogue “LOEWE Craft Prize 2018”, on view in London.

Paula Aza
LOEWE Head of Architecture

Antonia Boström
Keeper at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Ori Kleiner
Media artist, educator

Yoshiaki Kojiro
Glass artist

Axel Kufus
Furniture designer

Krzysztof Lukasik
LOEWE accessories designer

Ramón Puig Cuyàs
Jewellery artist

Helena Schepens
Metal artist

Anatxu Zabalbeascoa
Architecture and design correspondent for El País

Tina Zickler
Curator

Sara Flynn
Ceramist

Experts Panel

The Experts Panel will consider all works presented and submit to the Jury a shortlist of 15 to 30 one-off works which they consider most outstanding, representing excellence, newness, innovation and artistic vision in modern craftsmanship.
Watch a conversation on modern craft here.

Compañía Nacional de Danza
Falling Angels

PHotoEspaña 2017
Minor White

LOEWE FOUNDATION International Poetry Prize
Visor Libros

LOEWE Miami Design District
Miami Art Basel 2016

LOEWE FOUNDATION

The LOEWE FOUNDATION was established as a private cultural Foundation in 1988 by Enrique Loewe Lynch, a fourth-generation member of LOEWE’s founding family. Today, under the direction of his daughter Sheila Loewe, the Foundation continues to promote creativity, support educational programmes and safeguard heritage in the fields of poetry, dance, photography, art and craft. The Foundation was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts, the highest honour granted by the Spanish Government, in 2002.

One of the primary purposes for which the LOEWE FOUNDATION was established was to support design and craftsmanship.